Henry Hudson Parkway wrong-way crash kills 2 people, driver flees on foot
NEW YORK -- A driver on the Henry Hudson Parkway crashed going the wrong way and killed two people, then fled the scene, according to New York City police.
At least three cars were mangled in the crash just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday and the driver responsible is still missing, police said.
The northbound side of the parkway in Upper Manhattan was closed for over seven hours from 154th Street to the George Washington Bridge as crews worked to clear the wreckage. It reopened at around 10 a.m.
Pickup truck driver crashed head-on, police say
According to investigators, the driver of a white pickup truck was going south on the northbound side of the parkway and struck a Dodge Challenger head on.
The two men in the Challenger died at the scene, police said. They were later identified as Kirk Walker, 38, and Robert McLaurin, 40.
The pickup truck driver fled on foot, but a 22-year-old passenger who may also have been trying to get away was arrested and then hospitalized in stable condition, police said.
It was not immediately clear if the passenger was still in police custody.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
Child killed in another wrong-way crash
This is the second deadly wrong-way crash in the area this week. Thursday, a 9-year-old boy was killed in a wrong-way crash on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island.
Kerri Bedrick, the boy's mother, was arrested and charged with driving while impaired with drugs, among others. Prosecutors said the 32-year-old's license has been suspended over 55 times and they were pursuing homicide charges in her son's death.
A judge called the case one of the most tragic to come before him in almost 40 years. He set bail at $1 million cash or $2 million bond due to Bedrick's numerous suspensions and violations.